Different sensors can be used in vehicles to identify objects and possible collision conditions. For example, there may be an optical sensor, such as a camera, mounted to the roof of the vehicle. Another Infrared (IR) sensor may be mounted in the front grill of the vehicle. A third inertial sensor may be located in yet another location in the central portion of the vehicle. Data from these different sensors is correlated together to identify and track objects that may come within a certain vicinity of the vehicle.
The measurements from the different sensors must be translated to a common reference point before the different data can be accurately correlated. This translation is difficult because the sensors are positioned in different locations on the vehicle. For example, the sensor located inside the front bumper of the vehicle may move in one direction during a collision while the sensor located on the top of the vehicle roof may move in a different direction.
One of the sensors may also experience vibrations at a different time than the other sensor. For example, the front bumper sensor may experience a vertical or horizontal movement when the vehicle runs over an obstacle before any movements or vibrations are experienced by the roof sensor. This different movements of sensors relative to each other make is very difficult to accurately determine the precise position and orientation of the sensors when the sensor readings are taken. This makes it difficult to translate the data into common reference coordinates.
The present invention addresses this and other problems associated with the prior art.
A multi-sensor system includes multiple sensors that are integrated onto the same substrate forming a unitary multi-sensor platform that provides a known consistent physical relationship between the multiple sensors. A processor can also be integrated onto the substrate so that data from the multiple sensors can be processed locally by the multi-sensor system.
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.